_____ _ _ _ _ _
| ___| | ___ __ _| |_| \ | | ___ | |_ ___
| |_ | |/ _ \ / _` | __| \| |/ _ \| __/ _ \
| _| | | (_) | (_| | |_| |\ | (_) | || __/
|_| |_|\___/ \__,_|\__|_| \_|\___/ \__\___|
📖 Docs • ⬇️ Download • 🌐 Website • ❓ FAQ
| The Old Way 👎 | The Floatnote Way 👍 |
|---|---|
| Screenshot → Open Preview → Markup → Save → Share | Just... draw on it. Live. |
| Install 200MB bloatware | npx floatnote |
| "Can everyone see my cursor?" | GIANT NEON CIRCLE |
| Pause presentation → annotate → unpause | Keep presenting while you draw |
npx floatnoteThat's it. You're drawing on your screen in 3 seconds.
- ❌ No install wizard
- ❌ No account signup
- ❌ No 47-step onboarding
- ✅ Just works™
| Scenario | Without Floatnote | With Floatnote |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom call | "Move your mouse to the— no, the OTHER button" | 🔴 circles it aggressively |
| Code review | "On line 47, the thing next to the... you know" | ✏️ draws arrow, writes "THIS" |
| Teaching | Shares screen, alt-tabs to markup tool, loses place | 🎯 draws directly on live content |
| Design feedback | Screenshots > Figma > comments > screenshots > repeat | 💬 scribbles "make it pop" directly on screen |
| Bug reports | "It's broken" | 📸 annotated screenshot in 2 seconds |
|
Draw on top of ANY app without blocking interaction. Click through your annotations to the apps below. Your notes never get buried under 47 Chrome tabs. Pens, highlighters, shapes, arrows, text. Multiple colors and stroke widths. Flip between different canvases. Organize your chaos. |
Pinch to zoom. Pan to navigate. Two-finger rotate. It's 2026.
Close the app. Open it tomorrow. Everything's still there. Because we didn't write it in Electron— wait, we did. It's still fast though. |
Memorize these. Your productivity will thank you.
| Action | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Toggle Floatnote | ⌘⇧G |
Global hotkey (works from anywhere) |
| Quick Toggle | ⌥Space or ^` |
Alternative toggles |
| Settings | ⌘, |
Customize everything |
| Previous/Next Note | [ / ] |
Navigate your notes |
| Undo/Redo | ⌘Z / ⌘⇧Z |
Unlimited history |
| Select Mode | V |
Move/resize elements |
| Draw Mode | B |
Freehand drawing |
| Text Mode | T |
Add text annotations |
| Delete | D |
Nuke selected elements |
| Zoom | ⌘+ / ⌘- / ⌘0 |
Zoom in/out/reset |
npx floatnoteDownloads, installs, and launches. Done.
brew tap josmanvis/floatnote
brew install --cask floatnoteGrab the .dmg from Releases if you're allergic to terminals.
floatnote [options]
Options:
-v, --version Print version and exit
-h, --help Print this help message
--update Force update to latest version
--uninstall Remove Floatnote from your system# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/josmanvis/floatnote.git
cd floatnote
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Run in development mode (with hot reload)
npm run dev
# Build for production
npm run build
# Run tests
npm test| Requirement | Version |
|---|---|
| macOS | 10.13+ (High Sierra or later) |
| Node.js | 16+ (for npx method only) |
Q: Why macOS only?
Because I use a Mac. PRs for Windows/Linux welcome!
Q: Is this free?
Yes. Forever. MIT licensed.
Q: Does it phone home?
No analytics. No telemetry. No tracking. Your annotations stay on your machine.
Q: Why "Floatnote"?
It floats. You take notes. Naming things is hard.
Found a bug? Want a feature? PRs are wide open.
Check the issues or just start hacking.
If Floatnote saved your screen share, drop a star.
⭐ Star this repo — it makes my day
MIT License © Jose Viscasillas